Hand-car



(No Model.)' 2 Sheets-Sheet '1. G. ROBERTS.

HANDGAR.

No. 446,713. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

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G. ROBERTS.

HAND GAR.- No. 446,713. Patentedff'eb. 17,1891.

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UNITED STATES OFFICE.

CYRUS ROBERTS, Oh "JIREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

HAND-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,713, and February 17, 1891. Application filed July 14, 1890- Serial No. 358,752. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Oars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlugs.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hand-cars; and the invention is designed to form an improvement 011 a patentgranted to me June 10, 1890, No.429,962. In this patent the propelling-gear of the handcar is provided with a propelling lever or bail detachably secured with its ends to the ends of the oscillating driveshaft to permit the removal of the propelling-levers when it is.

desired to load or unload the car.

The object of my present invention is to so construct the side levers that they may be moved out of the way independent of each other to-permitunloading and loading from either side of the car and without the necessity of removing the whole bail.

To this end my invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and operation of different parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved hand-car. Fig. 2 is a vertical central crosssection with the propelling-levers in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the propelling-levers and the oscillating driveshaft. Fig. 4 1s a plan view of the hand-car with its platform partly broken away to show the drive gear. Figs. 5 and 6 are detached perspective views of some of the parts, as indicated by letters of reference.

A is the car; 13 is the platform thereof; 0 are the handles for lifting the car off the track; I) are the front and rear axles; E are the front and rear wheels, all of known construction.

My invention applies to the propelling mechanism, which consists of the oscillating driveshaft F, journaled below the platform and extending transversely across the same to the sldes of the car. To the ends of these oscillating drive-shafts, outside of the carbody, are secured the cranloarms G, provided wlth vertical recesses I-I upon their outer faces,

into which the lower ends of the side levers I are'adapted to engage and to be detachably secured thereto in the following manner: In the lower end of each side lever is cut a notch J, adapted to engage with the stud K, projecting from the recessed face of the crank. The

upper end ofthe crank is provided with a slot L, adapted to engage with a bolt M, which passes loosely through the side lever and receives from the outside a handled nut N, all so arranged that the side levers may be secured by this means to the cranks G, as shown in the drawings, and may be rigidly detached therefrom by unscrewing the nut N and vet tically raising the side lever.

The upper ends of the two side lovers are pivotally connected to one or two handle-bars O in the following manner: A metal plate 1, which is provided with means for securing thereto one end of the handle bar or bars, is provided at its upper edge with a recess or notch Q, into which a hook or stud R on the upper end of the side lever I is adapted to engage, and a T-slot S, formed in the body of the plate, is adapted to engage with the bolt T, which passes loosely through the upper ends of the side levers and has a handled nut U, all so arranged that by these means the upper ends of the side levers may be firmly secured to the ends of the handle-bar, asshown in the drawings. It will now be seen that in order to turn either end of the two side levers out of the way the nuts N and U have to be loosened first. Then the side lever is vertically raised until it is free to be turned upon the bolt T high enough to be out of the way for loading and unloading, and by tightening the nut U it may be held in this position while loading or unloading.

As material is generally loaded or unloaded on one side of the car only, my construction has the advantage of leaving one of the side levers intact in position, so that it may be propelled a short distance, as in distributing material along the track; and, further, my construction has the advantage that the propelling-levers are always carried along with the car without burdening the workmen to take care of them, and either of the side 1e vers may be turned in or out of position without the workmen being obliged to dismount from the car.

the sides thereof, two side levers engaging the ends of said drive-shaft for actuating the same, a handle secured to the upper ends of said side bars, and means for disconnecting said side levers from the drive-shaft and handle, whereby each lever may be independently detached from the drive-shaft and supported on the end of the handle-bar, substantiallyas described.

2. In a railway hand-car, a propelling mechanism having an oscillating drive-shaft journaled transversely the car and extending to the sides thereof, two propelling side levers detachably engaging the ends of said driveshaft, one-or more handle-bars connecting the upper ends of the side levers, two brackets in which the outer ends of said handle bar or bars are secured, and the clamping-bolts securing the sidelevers to said brackets and forming a pivotal connection on which the side levers may be folded out of the way, substantially as described.

3. In a railway hand-car, a propelling mechanism having an oscillating drive-shaft journaled transversely the car and extending to the sides thereof, the brackets secured to the ends of the drive-shaft, the propelling side levers engaging said brackets and provided with clamping-bolts detachably securing said side levers to the brackets, the handle-bars connecting the upper ends of the side levers, the brackets in which the ends of the handle bars are secured, and the clamping-bolts and means for detachably secu ring the upper ends of the side levels to said brackets, said clam ping-bolts forming a pivotal connection for folding the side levers out of the way indepclldently of each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

CYRUS ROBERTS;

Witnesses:

M. B. ODQGHERTY, P. M. HULBERT. 

